


A Quarter Past Midnight

by LeafontheWinf2



Series: Hidden Figures [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha Clint Barton, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Barton Farm, Beta Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes as Captain America, Happy Ending, Langley Verse, M/M, Marriage, Married Life, Mathematician Steve Rogers, Medic Steve Rogers, Not Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant, Omega Steve Rogers, Omega Verse, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Protective Bucky Barnes, Recovery, Sam Wilson is a Gift, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Steve Rogers and the 21st Century, That’s Right Plural Winter Soldiers, Winter Soldiers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-06-27 05:08:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15678657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeafontheWinf2/pseuds/LeafontheWinf2
Summary: The 21st century is nothing like Steve expected. It’s too loud, too fast, and he’s getting increasingly lost in it all. So when it’s recommended that he head out to the country to adjust, Steve goes and finds himself.Luckily, this time he has Bucky and Clint by his side.(Also known as mathematician Steve Rogers deals with AoU and is so done with it all.)





	1. Broken Like Me

**Author's Note:**

> That’s right everyone, Langley Verse is back! Steve and Bucky have been reunited, and are now dealing with this new world with Sam, Nat, and Clint by their side! Why those three? Because I love them the most (after my boys) so they’re here!
> 
> The title comes from Bastilles song “Quarter Past Midnight” which is just a cute song about being in love, so of course it works for my dorks.
> 
> Basically, Steve’s going to hang out on a farm and discover who he is in the 21st century. He has no Captain America to fall back on, and computers are now obsolete so he’s figuring life out while Age of Ultron kicks off. Plus, be on the lookout for Steve adopting the Winter Soldiers (yes plural) like a bunch of cute puppies.

It said a lot about the absolute control Steve Rogers Barnes showed, Sam mused, that it took so long for anyone to realize that the omega was not doing alright. 

Really, it shouldn’t have been a surprise. The omega had been forced from his time, leaving behind all of his friends and his life’s work to end up in the future. A future where everything moved faster, was brighter, was louder, more demanding. A place where his mate was already adjusted and settled into the time. A time that his only friend was from, so he couldn’t truly help everything make sense because it was ingrained in him. 

So yeah, Steve had been struggling silently the entire time. Little hints of it had started showing up over the last few weeks. Things like his cellphone just disappearing. Or his refusal to talk to JARVIS, or watch tv and instead stubbornly listening to radio. Or even the way Steve was wearing dresses and skirts like battle armor, face carved from stone whenever he stepped outside. 

But this wasn’t a subtle sign. It was a glaring, neon blaring sign that Steve needed some serious help. 

Sam had been spending the night at the Barnes’s apartment in the guest room. Bucky was off on a mission as Captain America and had asked Sam to keep guard over his mate. And of course Sam agreed. Mostly because the Avengers really needed Captain America to fight Hydra, and Bucky was still terrified that if he left Steve alone he would end up with a dead mate again. 

And Clint wasn’t much better, fussing over Rogers and bringing him weird colored snacks (how the hell he found neon purple gummies, Sam doesn’t want to know) while also attempting to explain Instagram and Facebook while hiding that fact that he was also terrified that Steve would disappear at any given second.

So yeah, Sam hadn't been surprised that for the two Avengers to leave someone had to stay and guard Steve. So he’d volunteered because Sam could just see that Steve was close to just...breaking. It was clear in the strained lines near his eyes, the tense set of his mouth, and the way he clung tight to Bucky when given the chance. It had every instinct in Sam demanding that he stay close, because Steve was going to snap and it would not be pretty. 

And snap he did. And it was just as spectacular as Sam had been expecting. 

“Steve,” Sam called gently to the distraught omega, “Are you hurt anywhere?”

Steve Rogers Barnes, contrary asshole that he was, respond to that by giving Sam the filthiest look that he could. It was surprisingly effective and made Sam feel about two feet tall which was surprising seeing how tears were streaming down Steve’s face. “I’m fine,” He rasped out, looking tiny wearing one of Bucky’s shirts as a nightgown and standing in the kitchen with bare feet. 

Bare feet surrounded by glass. All over the kitchen floor. From where Steve had apparently lost his mind and smashed a frying pan through the microwave window which had led to the explosion of glass covering the floor and the counters and it was just a serious mess. God, Sam was just thankful Steve hadn’t cut himself or anything on all the glass. 

“Right. Okay. Hold tight,” Sam ordered stepping forward onto the glass, thankful he’d automatically just pulled his shoes on when the crash had dragged him out of sleep. It seemed like he’d kept that response from his service. “I’m going to get you out of there.”

“I’m fine,” Steve spat, frustration and anger rolling off him in waves. And God, it was a good thing Bucky wasn’t here to smell distraught omega and go overprotective alpha on everyone. 

“People who are fine aren’t surrounded by broken glass and broken microwaves,” Sam pointed out dryly while making sure not to mention the whole crying thing. “Just stay still so I can get you away from the glass.”

Steve continued to glare, but gave in with a sullen nod and that was all Sam needed. He reached out, quickly snagging the omega under the arms and hauled Steve over the glass and back onto clear floor. Jesus, the kid was light. Steve couldn’t have been more than ninety pounds in his arms, no wonder Bucky kept sweeping the poor kid off his feet when pulling him in for a hug.

And Steve was bony too. Way to bony to be healthy. “Man, do you even eat anything? You should not be this light.”

“And you should know better than to ask someone about their weight,” Steve snapped, disapproval radiating off him even as the tears continued to pour down his cheeks. 

“I’ll ask about your weight all I same well want when it looks like you’re starving yourself,” Steve puffed up indignantly and Sam was just done, “And do not say you’re fine. You are obviously not, so don’t even pretend.” 

“I am fine. I have to be fine,” Steve defended, voice starting to get a bit hysterical as he talked.

“Whoa, man, you do not have to be anything,” Sam reached out to gently grab a thin shoulder, hoping to offer some kind of reassurance. Except it was hard to offer any comfort when you could feel how skinny Steve actually was. Seriously? Did the kid ever eat?

“Yes, I do,” Steve babbled, frantically brushing the tears away even as the scent of distressed omega started to fill the room, “Bucky can’t worry about me, he needs to focus when he’s fighting and just because I’m having a hard time doesn’t mean he should get careless…”

Sam frowned at that. “Steve. You do know that Bucky’s not fighting in a war anymore now, right?”

“Except he is!” Steve wailed even as he collapsed forward into Sam’s chest with a scream of frustration, “Bucky’s still fighting, except its worse! Hydra was just bayshit crazy Nazis and now Bucky fights aliens! Aliens! Which are real and attack New York! And Clint’s fighting in the war too!”

“Um…” Sam wasn't’ sure what to say, hands frantically fluttering around the omega who was becoming more and more hysterical. 

“Clint used to be the one I talked to about this stuff, but now I can’t because he can’t worry cause he’s fighting! And he fucking told Bucky everything!” Steve spat out, breath starting to wheeze, “Even stuff Bucky wasn’t supposed to know, but Clint told him and I shouldn’t get mad at him but I am! And everything is too loud and fast and everyone I know is dead! I was supposed to have lunch with Dorothy this weekend but she died years ago while I got forced into this shitty future that I’m supposed to be grateful to end up in but I never fucking asked to end up here!”

And with that, Steve dissolved into furious sobs that rocked his whole body. Sobs that Sam did know how to deal with after years at the VA, so he didn’t even hesitate to wrap an arm around Steve’s shoulders and guide the crying omega back to his room. “It’s going to be alright man,” Sam murmured, helping the omega back into bed and pushing a box of tissues into Steve’s hands, “Just cry it out. You’ll feel better after.”

“I’m sorry,” Steve whimpered sniffling pathetically. He was adorable, all big blue eyes and pathetic sniffles like a kitten. “You should be doing super hero shit instead of babysitting your friend’s omega.”

And dear god, that was his super power Sam realized in horror. He was just so freaking adorable and tiny that you couldn’t be mad at him. Even when he smashed the microwave with a frying pan. “I’m not babysitting you. It’s just…”

“Bucky’s an overprotective idiot and panics at the thought of leaving me alone. I know,” Steve muttered miserably.

Sam blinked, remembering the way Bucky hovered over Steve. How he always had to make sure he offered the omega an arm in support going up and down the stairs even when Steve didn’t need it. “Yeah. He’s been a bit much hasn’t he,” Sam admitted with a wry grin, “He been getting to you?”

“No,” Steve scowled at Sam’s unimpressed look. “Alright, fine. Yes he’s been getting to me. It’s just...I’m not breakable. I’m a fully competent engineer whose managed for years without his hovering at this point and now he won’t stop trying to fix things and it’s it helping!”

“You haven’t had time to process what’s happen,” Sam confirmed, sitting on the other end of the bed and stretching out so his feet were by Steve’s elbow, “And you won’t let yourself grieve while he’s there because you’re still in that WWII mentality which isn’t a surprise. It’s been two weeks, not enough time for that to change. But why not talk to Clint about this? You guys are friends.”

Steve looked down, frustration swimming in his eyes. “I don’t want Clint to feel bad for trying to save my life,” Steve admitted, “And if I start talking about how I miss my house and still can’t really forgive Bucky for selling it because it was our home, it just sounds ungrateful. And I’m not ungrateful for what he!”

“But you didn’t ask for this,” Sam sighed finally getting it. Because it was true. Steve had not asked to be brought to the future. He’d been convinced he would die, had made his peace with it from what Sam had overheard, and then suddenly realized he was alive. But alive in a strange place with nothing familiar except a mate that the world needed more than him, leaving Steve alone to cope and try to move forward.

They were increasingly lucky, Sam realized as a chill traveled down his spine, that when Steve snapped he’d only damaged the microwave and not hurt himself in some way. Yeah. This had to stop now before it got worse

“Right then. Get some sleep,” Sam ordered as gently as he could, “I’m going to talk to Bucky about this and you’ll join when you’ve rested.”

“No, don’t bother him with this…”

“I am bothering him with this because it is not going to get better. This isn’t negotiable,” Sam patted a think ankle before getting to his feet and leaving the room, “I’ll see you in the morning.” 

And then he settled in to wait. Really it was easy. All Sam had to do was stretch out on the couch and keep one eye on the door. He knew Bucky would be coming back soon. His friend has sent a text last night (technically early this morning seeing how it showed up close to three am) to inform Sam of this and to please not let Stevie know because it was a surprise? Which had been sickeningly cute, which seemed to be Bucky’s default now. 

Sure, Sam had wondered how to make sure Steve slept. But now the small blonde was down and out for the count after losing his mind in the kitchen. And he would be unconscious for quite some time recovering from the utter exhaustion that was releasing pent up emotion. Meaning Sam could just sit there and wait. 

Well. Not just sit. Because only sitting would be creepy. Instead he watched tv with the sound turned down low and one eye on the bedroom door just in case Steve lost it again and started destroying more things. But it was all quiet while reruns of Iron Chef ran in the background.

Which meant that Sam was ready when Bucky opened the door at six am, arms loaded with shopping bags and still wearing his uniform which was covered in concrete dust. 

Sam blinked slowly, exhausted and running on fumes. “Did you rob a combine ice store or something?”

“What? No,” Bucky glared, juggling the bags as quietly as he could while shutting the door. If he hadn’t had the serum, he might not have managed it. “There’s a donut shop down the street that Stevie likes that opens at 5:30. I went there.”

“And picked up two bags full of donuts?” Bucky did not need that many donuts. Look, they were good and all, but they were not that good.

“I got three of everything so we could have options,” Bucky grumbled picking his way through the living room. “I’m trying to get Steve to try the new flavors and figured if he could pick and choose it would go over better. Are you seriously going to sit there and not help?”

“Absolutely.” Sam deserved to sit there and judge. Because yeah, Steve stuck to plain donuts the few times they had been around but it made sense. When you had as many food allergies as the omega, carefully picking your food was a matter of survival.

And Bucky was going overboard getting that many donuts. That might be part of why Steve wasn’t adjusting now that Sam thought about it. So he just settled back and called out, “We need to talk once you put the donuts down.”

“We can talk right now...Sam.” Bucky’s voice changed. His general native Brooklynite-annoyance-with-the-world accent suddenly replaced by the crisp tone of Captain America, “Were you attacked or something?”

Looks like Bucky had seen the frying pan in the microwave. “Nope.”

Bucky’s turned away from the kitchen to stare incredulously at Sam. “You broke my kitchen?”

“Try again.”

“Stevie did this?” Bucky just gaped, mouth hanging open like a fish. “That doesn’t sound like him, he doesn’t just destroy stuff.”

Now it was Sam’s turn to stare. “You’re boy there has a history of destroying racist government propaganda and just last week he keyed a cop car Bucky.” 

“The cop had it coming.”

“The cop wasn’t even there! We still have no idea who that was!”

“Steve has a problem with the police,” Bucky muttered, flushing red and looking away from Sam’s piercing glare. “I think it’s an Irish thing? His mom fought cops a lot too… But he doesn’t usually destroy stuff that we own!”

That was a more acceptable statement. “Well, Steve apparently snapped or something and smashed microwave. I’m not sure what led to it, I just woke up to the sound of breaking glass and found your boy standing in the middle of it crying.”

“He was crying?” Bucky sunk into an armchair, voice small and childlike as if Steve Rogers crying was the worst thing in the world. 

“He was having a complete breakdown which is why I am going to take and you’re going to listen, clear?” Sam waited for Bucky’s nod before continuing, “Steve is not okay right now. He’s a mess and is not adjusting to being in the 21st century and I don’t think he’s going to get better any time soon.”

Bucky’s eyes squeezed shut like he was trying not to cry and that told Sam that Bucky had known Steve was struggling. And was probably driving himself spare trying to figure out a way to help his mate out. 

So Sam leaned forward and gently squeezed Bucky’s knee, “Hey. I know you’re trying your best with him.”

“Except my best isn’t enough,” Bucky spat out, close to tears. “I’m trying everything I can think of but Steve’s just spiraling and he won’t talk to me so I can help him.”

Yeah, Sam definitely had to handle this then. “Bucky. He’s not telling you anything because he’s still convinced you’re fighting in a war. It’s been two weeks for him since he was in the middle of WWII, so he’ll need a while to get it into his head that he can tell you stuff without worrying it will lead to you getting shot. That’ll work itself out. Him refusing to interact with the world around him? That’s the problem.”

“I know,” Bucky ground out exhaustion and worry and fear clear on his face, “And I still can’t figure out how to help him with this.”

“I’ve got an idea, and you are not gonna like it but it’s all we got,” Sam took in a deep breath, “We need to get Steve out of New York and away from you for a while.”

And yep, there it was. Bucky’s furious alpha glare at the very thought of getting his darling mate being taken away from him. So Sam knew he had to talk fast before Bucky, who was still not totally stable, lost it. (They hadn’t had time to talk about what Bucky did to the Hydra agent yet. Sam had meant to address it, but then Steve had come back and it hadn’t been brought up).

“Steve’s overwhelmed with New York. We both know it. So getting him out of a major city and somewhere more quiet so he can adjust at his own pace is better. Like the countryside.” Sam explained softly, “And yeah, Steve’s going to open up around you sometime soon but we’re not there yet. So to get him to open up, we need to get him away from you until he vents and starts talking again. That is not forever Barnes, so stop growling at me.” Sam snarled, fixing Bucky with a fierce glare until the alpha settled back down. “I’m just saying he needs some space to process and he’s not getting it with you hovering right now.”

“So what do you recommend,” Bucky spat out, not truly angry but still upset at the thought of losing his mate. 

“A safe house in the countryside. Somewhere isolated, where Steve can go outside and smash stuff until he’s calmer,” Sam explained. 

Bucky scoffed, “Sounds like you’re got a place already picked out.”

“I have no clue where a safe place for him is,” Sam shrugged, “I was going to talk to Clint and Nat, see what they got. Which means you still have time with your boy before we find a place.” That had Bucky automatically relaxing, which was one problem down. “You’ve got all the time in the world with him now. Just, he needs a little space to get better and find his place in the world. Alright?”

Bucky just nodded, a short jerky movement that showed how uncomfortable he was with the idea. But he would go through with it. He’d do anything for his mate which Sam had been counting on. So it was easy to lean forward, to gently shove Bucky’s shoulder towards the bedroom. “Go get your boy. You both deserve some alone time.”

“What are you planning on doing,” Bucky asked, already up and heading towards the bedroom. 

“Watch Food Network and eat all your donuts. Just go.”

So Bucky did. He shot Sam a grateful smile even though he wanted to scream and rage and throw Sam out for even daring to bring up the thought of taking his Steve away before scampering into the bedroom. 

The second the door shut behind him, Bucky could feel the weight slipping from his shoulders. He was so much lighter when he was able to see Steve curled up and sleeping peacefully in their bed. Everything just slid off. There was no Captain America, no genius omega defying the world. 

It was just Bucky and his Steve, safe and sound from the world which would try to tear them apart. So really, what else could Bucky do except stumble forward to kneel beside the bed? No one could blame him for smiling like an idiot as he leaned forward to tuck his face into Steve’s neck and just inhale the scent of happy, healthy omega. It was intoxicating, dragging Bucky further and further in.

Which was why Steve woke up giggling for the first time in years, squirming hopelessly on the bed in an attempt to get away from the scratch of Bucky’s stubble on soft skin. And of course all Steve managed to do was get himself twisted in the bedsheets so he ended up helpless and laughing as Bucky leaned over him to continue playfully nuzzling him. 

“Buck,” Steve gasped, laughing and bright eyed even as he squirmed helplessly under Bucky’s bulk, “Stop it! Stop tickling me jerk!”

“I’m not doing anything doll,” Bucky cooed, leaning back just far enough to start smacking loud obnoxious kisses on Steve’s faces. “Just saying hello to my pretty doll, whose welcoming me home.”

Eventually though, they managed to get sorted out. Teasing kisses were traded for soft ones. Sheets were straightened out, and Bucky ended up lying on his back with Steve spread out happily on his chest, idly tracing patterns into the Captain America uniform. 

Gently, so aware after the mission how his strength could hurt Steve, Bucky squeezed his doll closer. “I saw the kitchen.”

Steve flinched, tucking himself further against Bucky’s body even as mournful blue eyes stared sadly up at the alpha. “I’m sorry Buck, I just...I got so angry at everything and…”

“Hey, it’s fine love,” Bucky pressed a reassuring kiss to the blonde head. He wanted to pretend everything was alright, it was so easy to with Steve sweet and warm in his arms. But he couldn’t. “You’re not doing well here.”

“Yes I am,” his ever defiant mate spat back, frustrated tears already starting to shine in his eyes, “I have Clint and Sam and Natasha even if she scares me. And I have you! I can deal with anything as long as I’m with you Buck, I’m never leaving you again!”

“I know baby, I don’t want to let you out of my sight ever,” Bucky cooed, softly rubbing a broad hand down a thin side to calm down the omega, “But what we want doesn’t mean that New York isn’t stifling you. Or change the fact that you keep hiding things from me that you think will make me worry.”

“I’ve never hidden stuff from you,” Steve protested and oh. Bucky just could not let that go. 

He raised his head, fixing Steve with a dark look before growling out, “A strange alpha was time traveling to you for months because Nazis wanted you dead and you never told me. Just like you never told me about getting in a fight with the head of NACA over Dorothy’s assignments, or how you never told me you decked Howard when you found out about what the Manhattan Project really was. You keep stuff from me all the time, and you’re doing it now.” That out of the way, he allowed himself to soften, to gently kiss Steve’s forehead. “And usually that’s...well it’s not fine. But you can handle it. But this is too much to keep locked away baby. And I’m not going to have you suffer just cause you want to keep me happy.”

“So what,” Steve whispered, all sad big blue eyes, “You’re sending me away?”

“Never doll. I’m never sending you from my side,” Bucky promised, “But I am going to do whatever it takes to help get you happy and content here. And once that’s done, we’ll just finally get to be together.” 

It was a promise. A promise of a bright future, one where they were always together and a promise to leave Captain America behind. It was everything they ever wanted. 

So of course Steve whispered, “Okay.” And of course Bucky just held him some more, because they knew soon they’d have to separate again. But maybe, just maybe, this would be the last time.


	2. I’ve Got Soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, next chapter they will officially be moving into the house and healing will start to happen. And by healing, I just mean a lot of sap and happy feels cause I torture these boys all the time so maybe I should be nice?
> 
> Anyway, happy end of a first week of school! I’ve got a whole bunch of new babies to teach how to adult, so I’m already exhausted. Haha, I’ll make it work.

It took them exactly three weeks to figure out where to send Steve so he could adjust to the 21st century. Three weeks where Bucky clung tighter than usual, just one moment away from falling apart at the seams at the thought of losing his mate again. He spent the entire time with an arm wrapped around a thin waist or shoulders. Or when his anxiety got especially bad he’d just sweep Steve into his arms and carry his little love with him. 

Steve just smiled and put up with it even when he was packing. Sometimes his expression looked a bit strained, especially when Bucky would carry him around. But he never complained or anything. It was highly suspicious and made Sam nervous.

Clint, who had come over to help move Steve into his new safe house, watched Bucky pick Steve up for the third time that day with an unreadable expression. His eyes tracked the pair until the bedroom door shut, something that still freaked Sam out a little. 

“Barnes is a lucky man that Steve’s leaving today,” Clint muttered picking up Steve’s suitcase which had been the thing that set off Bucky again.

Sam turned, expression confused. “What are you talking about?”

“Bucky Barnes. Captain America. The idiot picking Steve up,” Clint nodded at the door.

“How is he lucky?”

“Cause if he keeps picking Steve up, he’s going to get bitten. Steve’s vicious,” Clint shrugged at Sam’s expression, “Look, Steve’s bloodthirsty and doesn’t think these things through. His entire plan to fight racism was to get lit on fire at some point.”

“So you think he’s going to bite Bucky?” Sam demanded.

“I know he’s going to bite Bucky. He bit me when I tried to pick him up once,” Clint admitted with a shrug, “Only saving grace for Bucky is Steve loves him, so he’s going to let him get away with it a bit more before taking a chunk out with his teeth. But once their gross honeymoon phase is over, blood will be shed.” 

“When did you...never mind. I don’t want to know,” Sam huffed grabbing a second bag and following Clint out to load the bags in the archer’s car. The two struggled for a bit with busted up trunk but somehow managed to get it open so they could store the stuff inside. “It’s just...Steve is not at all what I was expecting.”

Clint, who knew all about getting that dumped on you, made a comistersting sound. “Not at all what you expect from an omega from the 40s?”

“Dear god no. I thought he’d be meeker or something. Not a tiny ball of wrath and spite.” 

“Yeah...and the crazy thing is he's been pretty calm so far. Probably from the shock,” Clint smirked. Oh yes, he was really enjoying the horror on Sam’s face. “Just wait until he’s adjusted to the time period. He’ll probably end up fighting the police or something and I just know he’s going to get arrested like twelve times or something.” 

Clint would have continued, would have explained the million nightmare images he had. (Of Steve throwing himself into a fight against police brutality, or purposefully joining a riot. Or finding a neo-Nazi to punch in the face. Really, Clint was just thankful that he had a brief break before the Steve Fight-Me-Rogers show started back up.) Except before he could start regaling Sam with stories of Steve’s insanity, the door to the apartment swung open to let the omega in question come stomping out down the stairs with a mulish expression on his face. 

He was followed by Bucky who was carrying one last bag, trailing helplessly behind his irate mate with the most put upon expression on his face. It was just sad, Clint mused, to see how utterly whipped Captain America was in real life. Sure, there were all these stories of how Cap was the alpha of alphas, who ruled his mate with an iron fist. But Clint knew Steve ruled with his sharp tongue and willingness to fight everything that moved. 

Steve, who recognized Clint’s smug look, just growled. A thin finger, still stained with ink, pointed dangerously at Clint. “Not a word,” Steve growled, throwing himself into the passenger seat. “You do not get to talk to me right now.”

“Oh come on,” Clint whined, grinning teasingly and holding the door open so Steve couldn’t close it, “I’m not the one who made this happen. It’s all Sam’s idea, blame him.”

“Don’t blame me for this,” Sam snapped back even as he slid into the driver's seat. And seeing how it was Sam’s car, no one really wanted to contest that. Sam though wasn’t done, seeing how he turned to loom over his shoulders at a sheepish Bucky Barnes. “Is that a bite mark on your arm? Steve, did you bite him?”

Steve scowled, kicking out at Clint to get the stupid alpha to let go of the door so he could close it. “He wouldn’t put me down when I told him too. So I made him. But that’s not the point.” 

Sam, still adjusting to the unholy terror that was Steve Rogers, just muttered, “How is that not important…”

“What is important,” Steve’s raises voice drowned out Sam as irate blue eyes glared furiously at Clint, “Is that this asshole is sending me to Iowa. Fucking Iowa!”

Bucky, who had been sitting quietly in the trained way of all married men, took this as the time to cut in, “Stevie, sweetheart. Calm down before you trigger an asthma attack seeing how you made me pack the rescue inhaler in the bag in the trunk cause you promised not to get worked up.”

“Fuck you,” Steve snapped.

Bucky grinned, “Gladly love, how about tonight?”

Clint snorted, giggling like a child while Steve just rolled his eyes with fond exasperation, smile tugging at his lips even as he tried to continue looking angry. It was adorable, Sam mused, watching Bucky grin like a dope as he hungrily watched Steve’s profile as Clint started the car and headed into New York traffic. It was surprisingly peaceful, despite the one asshole who flipped them off.

But of course the quiet couldn’t last. “You shouldn’t be so mad doll,” Bucky’s tone was too sweet, a butter-won’t-melt-on-my-mouth expression in his face. It automatically made Sam nervous. “Iowa’s pretty nice, I stopped there on the tour before I shipped pit. Lots of pretty corn fields and cows. Perfect place for a punk like you, it’ll keep you from getting in too much trouble?”

Steve whipped around, furious expression on his face and Sam braced himself for the angry explosion (and why the hell couldn't Bucky just let Steve calm the hell down?) but Clint responded first. 

“Did you help the good people of Iowa plant that corn?” Clint called back, laughter clinging to his words, “Cause I remember Captain America knowing all about how to properly use a hoe.” 

Sam blinked, “I’m sorry, Bucky said what now?”

Steve’s expression slipped from angry to gleeful. “That’s right Clint,” Steve practically purred, clearly delighting at Bucky’s horrified expression, “Captain America did tell me how to handle a hoe, especially a hoe giving you problems.”

“It’s all in the grip,” Clint snickered, “Grip the hoe right, and it’ll do whatever you want.”

Bucky growled, typically an intimidating thing but it didn’t work when he was bright red from embarrassment. No, instead it just sent Clint and Steve into hysterical laughter and left Sa, even more confused. “What are they even going on about man?”

“Before I went to Europe, I had to do this propaganda tour,” Bucky muttered even as he started to sink down in the car seat while the pair up front continued to cackle, “And part of this tour had a part where I was supposed to talk about why you should plant a victory garden.”

“And this involved hoes?”

Bucky shrugged, clearly mortified by the reminder even as Steve managed to get his laughter back under control. Or at least he calmed down until Clint muttered “carrots” and that set him off once more into gales of bright laughter that made him look years younger. And of course the mortification melted off Bucky’s face at the sound, replaced by a soft expression you only saw on the Hallmark channel or sappy movies. But there it was, existing in real life for a brief moment until Clint and Steve started teasing the poor alpha for a different part of the tour.

It was hilarious, Sam had to admit. Bucky had always been the suave superhero, the first of them. Not a massive dork who had to bullshit his way through a ridiculous sounding song and dance number. It was strange, but Sam wouldn’t have traded it for the world. It wasn’t every day he heard Steve brightly describing the fish wife who’d groped Bucky on stage with mad glee in his eyes. So when they pulled into Stark Tower, there was a part of Sam that instantly regretted that the car ride was over. 

Especially because the second Steve saw the tower, he shut down. Laughter and smiles disappeared, leaving him quiet and sullen as he exited the car. He just sort of stood there, listless as Clint and Bucky grabbed the bags. Following behind without raising his eyes as they got in the elevator, he suddenly looked like a stereotypical omega from the 40s, not the spitfire who snapped and snarled at the world. 

It was wrong. Steve Rogers shouldn’t look so meek. Which meant of course turned to him with an easy smile and asked softly, “Have you met Tony yet? Or did Bucky drag you off before you met?”

“We didn’t meet,” Steve shrugged helplessly, purposefully ignoring how Bucky and Clint were clearly listening in, “Buck was going to introduce us, but we left before it could happen. He was busy with a meeting.”

Sam reaches out to gently pat a thin shoulder, “He’d enjoy meeting you though. Probably more than a boring meeting.”

Steve just frowned. “Did you know know a computer can solve 200,000,000 calculations in about a second now?”

Bucky’s head snapped around at that, eyes narrowing like he was just figuring something out. Something Sam was clearly missing, “I had no idea.”

“I heard Tony say he had created a new program to make his computer solve 800,000,000 calculations a second. Because everything else was inefficient,” Steve’s frown deepened as the doors opened to the quinjet landing pad where Nat was waiting for them to fly them to Iowa. Steve studied the quinjet quietly, expression darkening before he muttered “Engineers hate inefficiency. Especially in computers” and that must have been that because he pushed past them all to rush over to greet Nat, a smile now pasted on his face.

Sam turned to the other two as they left the elevator more slowly. “Any idea what just happened there? Because I know he told me something important but it was a whole different language.”

Clint looked just as lost. “I have no idea man. He’s usually not cryptic like that.”

“He wasn’t being cryptic, he just realized he’s been replaced in the workforce,” Bucky explained leading them sedately towards the quinjet. At Sam’s questioning look, Bucky took a deep breath before continuing. “Steve’s a...was a computer.”

Sam still didn’t get it. “Dude, computers are machines.”

“Computers were originally mathematicians who did calculations for the best. Steve used to be the best, but his jobs been replaced by machines so he doesn’t qualify for anything else,” Bucky signed, “I should have known that was part of why he was struggling. Steve’s been employed for years, so suddenly not being able to work has got to be killing him.” 

That was…Sam didn’t even know how to start handling that. Sure, he’d worked with veterans whose lives had changed drastically in the course of less than a day, some who would never be able to do the things they had before. But Steve’s problem? To still be physically and mentally able to do everything you had done before? Only to wake up and discover that everything you were good at was now irrelevant, that you had been consigned to history, that no one actually wanted who you really were and instead just wanted this mythical image they had created in their head of you. That your husband didn’t belong to just you, but a demanding world that took everything from you. That your best friend had the same issue. That you now had no bank account, no reliable work experience, nothing. All in a matter of second?

That was too much for anyone to handle. It really wasn’t a shock then that Steve had lost it.

“He’s an engineer,” Clint muttered, anger clear in his voice, “Doesn’t that count for anything?”

Bucky just shrugged helplessly. “Maybe. But the only one who’d hire him right now is Tony and that would be…”

That would be a disaster of monumental proportions. Especially with how fragile Roger’s mental space was right now. Combine that with Tony’s brash personality and ability to shove his foot in his mouth? They’d all be lucky if Steve didn’t kill Stark as of right now. 

But that’s why they were doing this. It was the only reason they were sending Steve away. Sam was banking on being right, that by removing Steve from New York and Bucky’s constant hovering that he’d start to process and heal. That he might even figure out what he wanted to do now in the future so he was actually happy and driving himself insane waiting for his husband to come home.

It was going to work, Sam promised silently as the quinjets doors shut. This was what everyone needed, he reminded himself as Bucky and Steve clung to each other tightly as they took off. Everything would work out for the best. There was no other option here.

And maybe if he said it enough in his head, he’d actually start to believe it. And if there was one thing Sam was good at, it as believing that everything would work out for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam’s confusion over computers being machines came from me. The first time I read Hidden Figured, I was all “but computers are technology, wtf is this? ...oh! It’s mathematicians!” So yeah, that was included here. 
> 
> Steve’s need to work actually came from a conversation with my dad about my mom. My mom loves working, and we realized that if she had to retire next week she would honestly lose it until she could figure something out. Add that in with crippling grief, and you have Steve Rogers!


	3. 21 Gun Salute

All in all, the safe house wasn’t completely awful. There was a certain rustic charm to it, a nice quaint farmhouse style produced by cheerful paint and growing plants. There were no neighbors for miles, and distantly Clint could see the beginnings or a forest and hear a babbling brook or something equally picturesque. 

For a farm, it was beautiful. They type of place Clint could happily see himself living in once he’d convinced Nat to run away with him to retire and get old and fat. No one could hate this place.

“This place,” Steve hissed furiously throwing some pots into a cupboard in the kitchen, “Is fucking awful.”

Well, no one except Steve Rogers could hate it. 

“It’s great, and you know it,” Clint pointed out, helpfully shelving the heavier items so Steve wouldn’t strain himself. Distantly he could hear Sam, Nat, and Bucky setting up the rest of the house. “It’s got four bedrooms and three bathrooms…”

“All of which I have to maintain.”

“It’s got an awesome attic and cellar…”

“Which is where axe murders hide.”

“There’s a barn.”

“I’m allergic to hay.”

“You’re allergic to everything, so suck it up and enjoy the barn,” Clint sighed, leaning against the marble counter (seriously, this had to be the nicest safe house ever), “This place is everything you had at your actual house back in Virginia. Like really, Nat did an insanely good job getting this place. So why don’t you like it?”

Steve shrugged. His eyes were even bigger than usual behind his glasses as he stared angrily out the kitchen window at the gently swaying grass. “I can’t like this place. It’s a safe house, not a real home,” he spat out, “I can’t create another home just to have it ripped away like my last house!”

“Who said you had to leave?” 

Clint swore, heart seizing as Nat’s voice came from directly behind him. Seriously, what was wrong with her? Couldn’t she make noise so he’d hear her coming. 

Judging by the tiny smirk she sent him, the answer was no. Like scaring Clint was the highlight of her day. 

Steve smiled a little at him, so Clint couldn’t be too mad at Nat for scaring him. Anything that got the omega to relax today was good in Clint’s books. “Bucky explained how safe houses work,” Steve shrugged, “You stay for a little while, then you leave and don’t come back.”

“Right, except this isn’t an actual safe house. It’s just a place for you to adjust, not a place where we’re hiding that you exist,” Nat explained calmly, arching an eyebrow at Steve’s dubious expression, “So that means that you can build a life out here, and if you like it more than living in New York than you just stay here. And if you move, you can keep in contact with any friends you make.”

“If you make friends,” Clint muttered, “Cause you might fight them all instead.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “I think the owners of this house will want us out sooner or later, seeing how we didn’t buy it Nat.”

Nat. Just a simple nickname but it had Clint grinning like an idiot. For the first month, Steve had only referred to Nat as ma’am refusing to use any nicknames. Nat though had taken it as a challenge, and harassed Steve constantly until he just gave in and started calling her Nat so she’d go away.

It was a strange friendship they shared, Steve and Nat. Mostly based around annoying each other and bitching about how stupid the men in their lives were. Clint loved it, seeing his two favorite people getting along, even if he was slightly terrified about what their friendship meant for him. 

“The owners aren’t going to kick you out,” Nat smiled, a slow dangerous one, “Seeing how I own the house and I’m gifting the deed to you and Bucky.”

Steve froze at that, expression horrified even as he attempted to put a frying pan away. If Clint hadn’t been convinced Steve would kill him, he’d laugh at the scene.

“You..you can't gift us a house,” Steve wheezed, lungs seizing from holding his breath.

Nat just cocked her head to the side. “Why not?”

“It’s a house! You just don’t give those away!” Steve’s breath stuttered a bit on the last word. Clint absently reached into his pocket for the emergency inhaler he carried just in case Steve worked himself into an asthma attack. 

“Except I am,” Nat shrugged. “Think of it as a wedding present.”

Which did nothing to calm Steve down. “I’ve been married since I was seventeen! I was married before your parents even existed, you can’t give me a wedding present now!”

“I can. And since it’s been ages, the presents acquired interest,” Nat announced smugly, “So instead of getting a blender, you get a house.” She cackled at Steve’s horrified spluttering, casually reaching out to ruffle his hair before sauntering out of the kitchen. 

Steve turned to Clint with wide eyes. “She can’t do this.”

“Nat can do whatever she wants. She’s a terrifying warrior goddess,” Clint grinned brightly, “But it’s a good thing man! You’ve got a permanent home now!” A home that wasn’t a musty apartment your grieving mate turned into a shrine, went unsaid but hung heavily in the air between them. 

A shaky breath was Steve’s response. “Still. A house? That’s too much.”

Clint’s grin turned soft, a fond smile even as he reached out to gently shove Steve’s shoulder. “Nah, it’s not enough. You deserve the world Steve. Not a giant mess you have to figure out.”

Steve’s face scrunched up at that. He seemed to be actually listening which was more progress than the last month had brought. Looked like the house was already paying off. “You deserve the world too,” Steve admitted quietly, looking up through his lashes at Clint with a bashful smile, “You’re one of the best friends I’ve ever had, and I want you to be happy.”

Clint just blinked down at him. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about you and Natasha,” Steve stared expectantly back up at him, “The fact that you’ve got a massive crush on her but haven’t done anything about it yet?”

Clint’s eyes narrowed dangerously, “I’m a grown ass man. I don’t have crushes.”

“You’re a walking dumpster file,” Steve’s grinned turned smug, “You have a crush. And are too afraid to act on it.”

“Steve. Shut the hell up. Like you didn’t get all nervous around Bucky.” And no, Clint was totally not blushing right then. It was a trick of the light.

“I was never nervous around Bucky. I knew he’d never leave. I picked him up like a nasty disease.” Steve shrugged as he thought, “Bucky’s like an STD.”

“Did you just compare your husband to herpes?”

“Nope. I left it vague. You compared my husband to herpes because you’re an asshole. And don’t think I forgot you implied that you feel about Nat like I do Buck.” Steve made sure Clint could see every inch of his shit eating grin. “You loooove her.”

“Shut up Steve.”

“You want to kiss her!”

“Shut the fuck up!”

Steve just cooed. “You want to marry her, have a nice big wedding where you’ll cry on everyone and it’ll be adorable!” 

Clint snarled, lunging forward to grab Steve and make him shut up. Probably by giving him a noogie or shoving him out a window. Except Steve had made it a lifetime habit of pissing off alphas, many of whom actually wanted to physically harm him. So when a friend was just roughhousing? It was easy for Steve to duck out of reach and run as fast as he could out of the room. 

Lucky for him, he didn’t have to go to far or he would have given himself an asthma attack. As it was, he just had to slide out of the open backdoor into the yard. The air seemed to come easier than before, filling his lungs with the smoky drag of New York or the cloying humidity of Virginia. Thick grass cushioned him as Steve raced past the barn, ducking over a rotting fence post and into the abandoned horse paddock. The paddock covered in high grass, sweet smelling and peppered with flowers that fluttered around Steve’s knees as he just stood and soaked in the sunshine. 

It was...peaceful. Soothing, bird song relaxing Steve’s shoulders for the first time in years even as he heard Clint come trooping into the paddock. A new looseness, one he couldn’t remember having after he’d been forced into a dress for the first time, came rushing back. Steve couldn’t help but smile. Oh, it was small. Much smaller than the ones he had been giving Bucky since he ended up in the 21st century. But it was far more heartfelt. “I never thanked you.”

Steve didn’t have to look over his shoulder to know Clint was staring. But Steve couldn’t bring himself to look at Clint right then. He didn’t want to look away from the sky. “I never thanked you for bringing me here.”

“Steve...you don’t have to thank me for that.”

“Except I really do. If you hadn’t brought me here, I don’t know what would have happened.”

Clint snorted, “You would have stayed at Langley fighting everything that moved after Barnes came back from the war.”

“Or Bucky would have still crashed the Valkyrie, and I would have spent the rest of my adult life alone until he work up when I was either very old or already dead and we would have spent even more time apart,” Steve finally mustered the will to move, turning to reach out and grab Clint’s hand, “I mean, I know I’m not doing well right now. But I’ll be fine. Eventually.” 

Clint managed a wan smile, “It’s the eventually that’s the problem.”

“Nah, I’ll just turn on the new and find someone new to fight,” Steve grinned, quick and bright, “That always works.”


	4. Winter Solider

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry to do this to the people who read this series, but I’m going to have to temporarily abandon this series. Mostly because I’ve run out of ideas and inspiration to get there. Oh, I know what Steve will be doing, but mentally just can’t get there. So this is a long term break but I may come back. 
> 
> But the outline of the plot going forward is below along with a bonus chapter.

Steve goes back to school to get a medical degrees so he can help out. While this is happening, Sam, Clint, and Nat come and visit often. Bucky is there constantly (like when he’s not on missions he’s at the farmnhouse) and they’re super cute. During a mission though, Steve’s all alone. That’s when the Winter Soldier shows up. 

In this verse, the five Winter Soldiers are the current Soldiers. They’re co-dependent and still children, cause Hydra is using child soldiers because they were easier to brain wash and the adults they experimented on either turned on them or died. So they would cryofreeze the kids, got them attached as a pack so they protected each other, and then would send one or two out at a time. (Meaning Bucky hesitates in this universe on the Helicarriers because the Winter Soldier was a child).

They show up, talk to Steve, and he just adopts them all. (I’m including the adoption chapter in this Sends them to school, gives them cuddles, the whole nine yards until he becomes Mama Stevie. Everyone else is all wtf but goes with it. Their names and designations: Josef (a), Vasily (b), Timur (b), Katenka (b), Sveta (o)

 

Winter Soldier chapter 

Josef remembers the man on the bridge. Captain America, the man in red, white, and blue. The target, the man the Winter Soldiers were supposed to kill. The one who Timur had been sent after first only to fail to kill the man on the bridge. Failure was not an option, not for the Winter Soldiers. So Timur had been put back under the ice and Josef had been brought out. 

And he’d fought. Fought with everything he had, everything necessary but he’d still lost. Him. Josef. The only alpha of their little broken pack of Winter Soldiers, the strongest and most vicious of them. He had failed his brothers and sisters horribly. So horribly that he just knew the masters would decommission them, leave the corpses for Josef to see before terminating him at the very end for his failure. 

(They had once been six, not five. But number six had failed)

So when Josef knew he had lost, when the Helicarriers crashed to the ground and SHIELD fell, Josef fled to find his pack and get them to safety. It had taken him too long, so horribly long to find Sveta the smallest of them all, but he had done it. He’d found his brothers and sisters, pulled their cryopods on a truck to get them somewhere safe.

And as he’d driven, slowly and carefully not to be pulled over, Josef remembered that the Captain had promised safety. He’d said no child should have to fight, to kill, that he could offer sanctuary for Josef and his pack. So Josef had gone looking. He’d tried to find the Captain. Just the Captain because the other Avengers could not be trusted and hadn’t been able to.

Until Captain America had started venturing to Iowa (Why? Why would you go there? There was nothing in Iowa!) by himself. Josef had hidden the truck carefully. He’d plugged the cryopods carefully in because it wasn’t safe for his pack yet. He’d dethaw them when it was truly safe, no more masters forcing them to fight. Then he’d tracked the Captain’s trail to a small farm house off the beaten path.

He was supposed to be there. Captain America was supposed to be in the house. He was supposed to help Josef, no one else was supposed to be involved.

Except. 

Except Captain America was not there. He’d left earlier that day, and Josef had been left facing down a rather unimpressed omega instead. Really, he wasn’t sure what was happening but this was not the plan. Not even close. 

“Here,” Barnes’s omega, a tiny little thing that reeked of the Captain that wore thick glasses, gently pressed a cup full of steaming tea into Josef’s hands. He had his own mug, and Josef had seen the omega pout a decent amount of whiskey into the tea before sitting down with that long suffering expression on his face. It made something in Josef curl up and squirm, something he’d never felt before. So he just stared at the table.

“So,” the omega broke the awkward silence with his surprisingly deep voice. “You’re the Winter Soldier.”

“I’m one of them,” Josef muttered.

“Right, yeah. Nat mentioned there were five of you,” the omega took a very long drink of his alcoholic tea, “Is there a reason why you broke into my house at two am?”

“The Captain,” Josef muttered, petulant and sounding his eighteen years, “He was supposed to be here. He offered to help, to give protection. But he’s not here.”

“No. He’s on a mission. Not sure when he’ll be back.” That was...Josef was pretty sure lone omegas weren’t supposed to admit that the only alpha present in a household was gone on a mission for an undetermined amount of time. 

The omega just continued looking at him. “Do you have a name you’d like me to call you? Besides Winter Soldier?”

That was...no one had ever asked Josef that before. He’d named himself, years ago and told the pack. But no one outside the pack ever called him that. “I’m Josef.”

The omega nodded, a quick efficient thing. “I’m Steve. The Captain, as you’ve been calling him, that’s my husband Bucky. It’s good to meet you Josef. Now, you said Bucky offered you sanctuary?”

“He said he’d keep us safe...that we didn’t have to work for Hydra if we didn’t want to.” It was the only promise Josef had ever been given. Which was probably why he was clinging to it.

Steve just nodded, absent mindedly pushing up his glasses. “Alright then, where are the others?”

Alarm shot through Josef at the question. “Why?”

“Because you’re a bunch of children who are in danger? Who my idiot husband realized needed a safe space? So I’m providing one?” Steve just shrugged, sipping his tea. “There’s five of you, but only you are here. I’m guessing the others are hidden.”

“Yes.”

“Alright. Good. Before you get them, what would you prefer for a room,” Steve asked, like he was a sane being instead of the craziest thing Josef had ever encountered, “Five rooms? One shared room? Something between that?”

“One...room?” It was supposed to be an answer. Not a question.

But that didn’t deter Steve. He just nodded, mind already working. “Makes sense, your pack needs to rest and just be together. I’ll make a blanket nest for tonight, and we’ll work up to beds. If that’s what you want. If you’re more comfortable nesting than I’m fine with that too. This is supposed to be safe apparently, so we’ll make it safe.”

Josef just stared, so overwhelmed he couldn’t do anything except gasp out, “What is wrong with you? The Winter Soldier shows up and you give him tea and offer him a room?”

“Of course. You’re a child who needs help, and I can provide it. It’s the right thing to do,” Steve reached out to pat Josef’s hand gently. His hand, Josef realized hysterically, was as tiny and delicate as the rest of him. 

“How is this even real?” Josef whined.

Steve just smiled, “Drink your tea dear. It’s the only thing I can actually make, I’d hate to waste it.”

Maybe Josef should have taken his chances fighting Hydra alone. 

Age of Ultron-Pietro lives. Steve goes to Sokovia as the medic and saves him. Tony and Steve meet for the first time and it doesn’t go well. Tony, because Steve’s the omega his dad always went on about. Steve because...well. He just fights everything. 

Civil War- the Winter Soldiers are framed for the bombing, and Steve refuses to give up his babies. So he packs them up and escapes. Steve is captured in Europe and thrown in the RAFT. The rest of Civil War goes the same except with four more Soldiers and less Steve and Bucky gazing at each other. Vasily was the one to kill Howard, so that’s who Tony went after. Josef had the other four run and fought with Bucky. 

Infinity War-just all the sads. Bucky turns to dust, as do three of the soldiers leaving Katenka and Timur. Steve deals with his grief by decided to kill Thanos and he and the Winter Soldier babies do so (they get along great with Nebula, btw). 

Beyond Infinity War-We fix everything with magic and they all go live happily ever on the farm, Steve and Bucky and their pack of Winter Soldiers. Maybe Steve gets pregnant and carries to term? No idea! Just imagine it happy. 

So yeah, that was where this was supposed to go. I had scenes planned, but nothing to make it coherent.

**Author's Note:**

> The reason why Bucky isn’t being super helpful to Steve is because he’s in frantic, overprotective husband mode. He’s too busy trying to fix things to stop and help and Steve’s still used to not explaining what’s wrong. (Cough cough, still haven’t talked about what happened in chapter nine in A Hidden Figure). 
> 
> So they’re both self destructing until Sam, who is a gift, steps in and takes charge. There have been several studies indicating interaction with nature helps people heal, which is why Steve goes to the countryside. 
> 
> Laura doesn’t exist in my verse cause my best friend loves Nat/Clint. So the farms just a safe house where everyone goes to chill and learn how to function.


End file.
